Pie cutter



A. E. FoGELQulsT.

PIE cumin. APPLICATION `FILED FEB. 8, 1922.

1,418,868. PatentedJune 6, 1922.

v Z l 55,7%@ rgl ro/vsy.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PIE GUTTER.

Patented J une 6, 19.22.

Application filed February 8, 1522. Serial No. 535,060.

To all -w 7mm z5 may @oar-cru.'

Be it known that l, ALEX E. FoGuLQUis'r, a citizen ci' the UnitedStates, residing` at Minneapolis.l in the county ot Hennepin and Stateor Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful improvements in PieCut ters; and l do hereby declare the following to be a iull, clear, andexact description olz the invention, such as will enable vothers skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a device for cutting pies or similar articlesin a plurality of pieces preferably otequal size. At the present time,`an exceedingly large number of pies are used and in some hotels andrestaurants certain employees do nothing else but cut pies.` To cut a.pie with a single knife takes considerable time and the pieces are,furthermore, very often of unequal size.

It is an object oit this invention, therefore, to provide a device, bymeans of which a pie can be easily and quickly cut into a plurality ofpieces preferably of the same size.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a devicecomprising a plural* ity oir radially movable blades.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide the device withsupporting' means arranged to contact the outer edge of a pie or pieplate and hold the same while the radially moving blades are movedthrough the pie.

It is still another object of the .invention to provide a device havingsuch pie pan or pie plate engaging means adapted to be moved to variouspositions to suit different sizes of pie containers and to furtherprovide a single handle lever formoving all ot the cutting blades.

These and other objects and advantages or' the invention will fullyappearfrom the following description made in connection with theaccompanying` drawings in which like reference characters refer to thesame parts throughout the diierent views and in which,

Fig. l is a plan view of the device showing'the same applied to a piepan;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken on the line 3--3 ofFig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the device comprises a pluralityo'tcircumferentially ar.- ranged legs or supporting means l. As shown inthe drawings, these legs are of angular shape and their lower frontportions yand projects upwardly therefrom. .From

the head 3, an arm or rod 5 shown as of cylindrical shape, extendsrearwardly outward to each of the legs l and passes through vtheaperture therein. The outer end of these arms, at their top portion, areprovided with grooves 5LL and the inner endsof the set screws 2 areadapted to seat in said grooves. The legs l are thus prevented fromyrotating on the rods 5 and by loosening the set screws 2 the legs l canbe moved radially inwardly or outwardly on said rods.

tlidably mounted on each of the rods 5 is a block 6 which has dependingcentrally thereof a thin blade 7. These blades, as shown in Fig. 2, areinclined inwardly and are provided on their bottom and outer sides withsharp edges. The legs l are provided with vertical slots l;L at theirinner portions to accommodate the eXtreme outer position oli' the blades7 and it is to accommodate the outer movement of the blocks 6 that thesaid legs are made ot angular shape. A head 8 is rotatably mounted onthe spindle et and rests on the member 3. This head is held in properposition on said spindle by a central handle or crank member 9 having`an enlarged smooth head thereon and being bored `to lit over the top ofthe spindle l to which .it is secured by a suitable set screw. The head8 has a downwardly and outwardly flange portion from which projectradial lugs 8iL and a link l0 having an outer curved end, as shown inFig. l, is pivotally connected to the underside of each of the lugs 8aand pivot-ally connected at its outer end to the top of one of theblocks 6. A handle member il is suitably secured to the top of the iangeof member 8 tor the purpose of rotating the same. In operation, thedevice will be held in the lett hand and the lever or handle l1 swungvin a counter-clockwise direction to bring the knives or blades 7 totheir inner or cen tral position, at which time they will occupy theposition shown by dotted lines in Fig. `3. The device willnow be placedover a pie pan containing a pie in the manner illus.- trated in Fig.Preferably. the handle il shouid be substantially opposite the (nieratorat this time. its the device is placed down over the pie, the blades 7will cut therethrough and through the bottom crust and rest in contactwith the top surface ot the pie pan. The handle 9 now `firmly grippedand the lever li swung toward the operator. This movement moves theblock 6 and legs 7 outwardly through the pie. rfhe lower edges ot theblades move in close contact with the pie pan and the pie is thusquickly and evenly cut. As the blades 7 reach thc outer edge of thebottom ot' the pan, the device is raised slightly and the handle 1lstill moved.y This causes the blades to continue to move outwardly andupwardly along the beveled sides ot the pan and to the extreme upperedge thereof, and then over the top surface of said edge, it there beone. The pie will thus be cut to its extreme outer portions and eachpiece will be entirely separated 'from the other. The device is made ofsufiicient height so that the blocks 6 will clear the top of the pie andthe blades T will have their outer edges inclined substantial] at thesame angle as the sides of the pie p an. The operation ot the device isquite rapid and a great number ot pies can be out in an exceedinglyshort time.` rthe device has been amply demonstrated in practice and isvery ei'licient for the purpose intended.

It will be noted that the parts of the device are quite simple and aremade ot rugged construction. T here is no tendency tor the device tobecome disarranged or out ol` order. The parts oi1 the. device can bereadily cleaned and the same kept in a very sanita-ry condition. T hedevice will further be made oi' non-corrosive material or plated withsuch a material, so as not to be acted upon by the materials used inmaking the pie.

The device.r illustrated, is arranged to cut a pie into six pieces. butit will be ol vious that the same can be made with a greater or lessnumber ot knives to cut the pie into as many pieces as desired. asstated, also, the members l can be moved to suit various sizes ot piepans, which pans are now made in several dii'ierent sizes.

It will, of course, be understood, that various changes may be made inthe form, dctails and proportions of the parts without departing fromthe scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists inthe matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

`What is claimed is:

l. A device tor cutting pies or similarY articles comprising a pluralityof radially disposed blades movable trom the center ot the pie outwardlyto the edge thereof in radial planes.

2. A pie cutterv having in combination a plurality of thin bladesmounted for movement in substantially vertical radial planes irom acentral point, and mea-ns tor simulta` ncously moving said blades.

3. ,it pie cutter having in combination a supporting trame, a pluralityot' blades mounted thereon, lor radial movement outwardly 'from acentral point, and lever means for simultaneously moving said blades.

et. A device tor cutting pies or similar articles comprising a pluralityoi cut-ting means mounted to move in radial planes Afrom the center tothe outer edge ot the pie.

A pie cutter having in combination, means for surrounding and holding apie pan, a plurality oit blades supported by said means and mounted tormovement in vertical radial planes from the center of said pan, guidingmeans for said blades, and means for simultaneously moving said blades.

6. A pie cutter having in combination a plurality of blades mounted formovement in substantially radial planes from al central point, guidingmeans for said blades androtating means connected to said blades formoving the same.

7. The structure set forth in claim 6, and a handle for moving saidrotating means.

8. A pie cutter having in combination a plurality ot circumterentiallyarranged means adapted to surround and contact with the edge ot a piepan, a plurality of blades movable in substantially vertical radialplanes from the center of the pie outwardly. a handle means tor holdingsaid dcvicc in, position and a rotating handle means for moving saidblades.

9. A pie cutter having in combination a plurality otcircui'ntei-entially arranged supports adapted to surround a pipe panand engage the outer edge of the same, a central member, arms extendingtherefrom to each ot said supports.` blade carrying blocks slidable onsaid arms, a revolvable head mounted on said member, a swinging linkextending from said head to each of said blocks, and means 'for rotatingsaid head to slide said blocks and blades radially.

l0. The structure set forth in claim f), a central stationary handledisposed above said head, and said means comprising a rotatable handleprojecting from said head 'for rotating the same.

ll. A pie cutter having in combination a plurality of radiallyadjustable and circumferentially arranged means adapted to surround andcontact the pie pan, a plurality ot guide means extending inwardlytherefrom, lnite carrying means movable on said guide means androtatable lever means for moving said knife carrying means radially.

ln testimony whereof I aii'iX my signature.

ALEX E. FOGELQUIST.

